MSI NX7950GX2-T2D1GE GeForce 7950GX2

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Closer Look at the Card

One thing that is important to reiterate and make clear is that a single 7950 GX2 can be used on non-SLI motherboards, even CrossFire motherboards. Not every PCI Express motherboard is compatible, but many are. Not only must the motherboard have a PCI Express x16 slot, but it must also have a compatible system BIOS. For more information, visit www.nvidia.com/GX2. This was a great decision by NVIDIA as it provides SLI opportunities to people who are reluctant to change motherboards. For Quad SLI, though, you will need an SLI motherboard.

A Shiny New MSI 7950 GX2

Both Barrels Are Loaded

When we were first teased about Quad SLI in January, the cards were very long. Thankfully, that is a thing of the past as the 7950 GX2 is no longer than other high-end cards. Their average size is rather impressive considering how much horsepower they are packing. You can see in the first picture that MSI's design doesn't stray from NVIDIA's reference design in any substantial way. The only change is the sticker on the top of the cooler, which features the same angelic woman from the box.

As you can see in the pictures above, the 7950 GX2 is basically a GPU, PCB and cooler sandwich. Cooler, GPU, PCB, cooler, GPU, PCB. The GPUs are cooled by two identical coolers. If you want to read more about how these two GPUs are linked and work together, feel free to check out our 7950 GX2 launch article. As you might expect, this card does require the space of two expansion slots. Usually we'd see that as a downer, but in the case of the GX2 it's easy to accept.

Like other high-end cards on the market today, MSI's 7950 GX2 features dual DVI connectors and a TV-out connector with HDTV support. Although this card is more powerful than other single card solution, it still only requires one connection to your power supply.